EXPLORING DYSPNEA-RELATED ANXIETY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN OLDER US VETERANS WITH COPD - Issue S2 - research findings and implications

Sep 29, 2026

Dyspnea is a debilitating COPD symptom tied to activity restriction and psychological consequences, yet links among dyspnea severity, objectively measured physical activity, and dyspnea-specific anxiety remain unclear. This exploratory cross-sectional study tested whether dyspnea-related anxiety (Breathlessness Beliefs Questionnaire) relates to reduced physical activity (accelerometer step counts), and whether dyspnea severity (UCSD Shortness of Breath Questionnaire) mediates that relationship. Among 42 older US Veterans, dyspnea-related anxiety correlated with lower activity, and mediation indicated dyspnea severity fully explained the association.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Methods

Participants and measures

Correlation and mediation analysis

Results

Key associations and mediation effects

Implications

Need for longitudinal research

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 807 EXPLORING DYSPNEA-RELATED ANXIETY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN OLDER US VETERANS WITH COPD Brent Schell, Marilyn Moy, Jennifer Moye, Amy Silberbogen, Grace Rose, and Patricia Bamonti, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, Massachusetts, United States Dyspnea is a debilitating symptom in persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been linked to both activity restriction and psychological consequences, such as dyspnea-specific anxiety symptoms (e.g. , fear of 808 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 dyspnea or fear of dyspnea-inducing activities). To date, however, the association between dyspnea severity, objectively measured physical activity (PA), and dyspnea-specific anxiety symptoms has not been explored. In this study, we hypothesized that higher dyspnea-related anxiety (assessed via Breathlessness Beliefs Questionnaire-BBQ) would be associated with reduced PA (assessed via accelerometer-derived step counts), and that dyspnea severity (assessed via the University of California, San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire) would mediate the relationship between dyspnea-related anxiety and PA. Forty-two Veterans were recruited (88% white, 93% male) with a mean age of 69 +/ -6 years, mean FEV1 67 +/ -21%, and mean daily step count (averaged over 14 +/ - 1 days) of 4635 +/-2115 steps. PA and BBQ scores were significantly correlated (r = -0.38, p = .014) . Simple mediation analysis demonstrated a significant indirect effect of BBQ scoreson PA through dyspnea severity (point estimate = -0.26, 95% CI = [-0.43, -0.11]). After accounting for indirect effects, there was no significant main effect of BBQ scores on PA (β = -0.12, p = .44), suggesting dyspnea levels completely mediated the relationship between BBQ scores and PA. Although the direction of relationship between these variables cannot be determined using cross-sectional data, this exploratory study suggests the need for longitudinal studies examining dyspnea-specific anxiety and PA in this population.

FAQs

What was the study’s main hypothesis about dyspnea-related anxiety and physical activity?

Higher dyspnea-related anxiety was hypothesized to be associated with reduced physical activity measured by accelerometer-derived step counts.

How was dyspnea severity assessed, and what role did it play in the analysis?

Dyspnea severity was assessed using the University of California, San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire, and it mediated the relationship between dyspnea-related anxiety and physical activity.

What did the mediation results suggest about how dyspnea-related anxiety affects activity?

After accounting for indirect effects, the direct main effect of dyspnea-related anxiety on physical activity was not significant, indicating dyspnea severity completely mediated the relationship.

Sep 29, 2026

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